The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has finally released the fourth mountain lion kitten that was captured from the Johnny Creek Area at the end of January.
Using signals from a radio collar affixed to the mother mountain lion, Fish and Game was able to determine her location by the end of last week and released the kitten in proximity to her.
During the week of January 16, Idaho Department of Fish and Game became aware of a mountain lion family that had made themselves at home right among the residents of Johnny Creek. Mama mountain lion and what was originally thought to be just three kittens were continually hunting deer, storing kills, and finding shelter amongst the homes and structures on properties in the area. These factors made removal of the mountain lions necessary.
Fish and Game transported and released the female and her other three kittens to suitable and more remote habitat in southeast Idaho on the afternoon of January 20. The fourth kitten was not captured until January 26.
Radio telemetry information was spotty at first as the cat family moved around quite a bit. Fish and Game waited until she and her kittens finally became more settled before releasing the fourth kitten.
This is the first capture and release of an entire mountain lion family by Idaho Fish and Game in the southeast region.
